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Barefoot Kuata Island is located in the Yasawa Island chains of Fiji. The ride on the Yasawa flyer ferry takes a bit over 2 hours from Denarau Port. There is a single resort on the entire island and I only saw about 5 guests during my time here. The island is uncrowded and you will certainly get the feeling that you’re the only people staying here at the end of the world. The only sounds you hear are the ocean, the birds and the daily boat that stops by to drop off passengers!
While the amenities seemed a bit basic when booking, I chose this resort because I had my heart set on 2 amazing activities that they run: the Bull Shark Dive and Snorkeling with Reef Sharks.
I stayed at this resort at the end of August and the weather was perfect. Warm weather, sun and blue skies every day and not a drop of rain!
Our welcome drink on arrival.
The arrival view at Barefoot Kuata Island
The Room
The rooms are very basic. We stayed in a Bungalow Bure located right across the beach. The “bures” or houses are small suites with their own bathrooms and showers. They are quite spread out from each other which is great for privacy. There was no AC in the room. In fact, none of the rooms had AC but we chose this resort due to the shark activities it provided. It got very hot during the day. As we were jetlagged, we tried to close the windows and blinds to nap but that made it even hotter inside the room. The shower was outdoors and open air. It worked well and had hot water.
Food
As with many of the Yasawa Islands resorts, it is mandatory to purchase a meal plan during your stay. Since the island is remote and uninhabited, there really is nothing else to eat here so the meal plan is your only option. The plan includes 3 meals a day. I found the breakfast to be very basic. It was more of a continental breakfast and no eggs were offered.
Lunches and dinners were buffet style and the food was alright but not very filling. There was generally some vegetable curry and rice but the quality was average. I highly suggest bringing snacks if you tend to get hungry between meals. I found myself often snacking on protein bars and nuts as I did not enjoy the food. I much preferred the food at Mantaray Island Resort which was superior in quality and their meal plan cost us the same! However, I reminded myself that I picked this island for it’s unique activities (which I’ll get to next!) and not for the accommodation quality or the food.
Activities
Scuba Diving and Snorkelling
Now, the main reason why I came here was for the bull shark dive and the chance to snorkel with reef sharks! I did them both on my second day here and I was not disappointed! The bull shark dive was absolutely thrilling!! I saw so many large bull sharks that I lost count. According to the divemaster, he logged 22 of them (they recognize each individual). The sharks came so close to my face and I have never experienced anything like that before. If you are not scuba certified, you can still do a shallower shark dive as your discover dive!
Bull Shark Dive
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The reef shark tour was simply amazing too. We went out to the reef close by and there was already several of them under the boat. I spotted both white tip and black tip reef sharks. The water is quite deep and the sharks tend to keep their distance but if you can freedive then you can get quite close to them. This is a great family activity and I saw many kids participating while wearing their life jackets. It’s great to educate them from a young age that sharks are not mindless monsters, rather they were just going about their day, perhaps occasionally wondering what those weird creatures with legs above them are.
It was definitely worth coming all the way to Barefoot Kuata Island just for the sharks!!
A blacktip reef shark swims by under us
A whitetip reef shark accompanied by a remora
So many whitetip reef sharks!
Other activities on offer
Other Activities
The weaving lessons was one of the most unique activities they offered! Members from the staff (and their village) demonstrated how to build baskets by weaving the leaves of large coconut leaves. This was a fun activity that also allowed us to chat with the staff and learn more about them.
Every evening after dinner, the staff also put on a show of Fijian songs and dance for us. It was very entertaining to watch!
One of the best things to do here is taking walk along the deserted beach and watch the sunrise!
There is a small pool to hang out and swim at during low tide
The resort offers free WiFi around the dining area. The connection is weak and slow, so don’t expect to be able to watch videos or backup your media. It was useful to stay connected via whatsapp for messaging though.
Hot tip: there is no ATM anywhere on this island and it’s the same situation on many other Yasawa islands. Bring enough cash from the mainland for your hotel expenses and to cover any add-on activities. Luckily, the barefoot island resort accepts payment by credit cards on site but you will have to pay a small charge for the convenience though.
